Telegraph printer



July 11, 1933. JAQUITH 1,917,304

TELEGRAPH PRI NTER Filed Jan. 25, 1932 E 0 3/ INVENTOR 30 LUC/E FJAQU/TH we I r V PR/NTEI? CONT/90L RELAY ATTORNE I Patented July 11, 1933 PATENT ,FFECE Z? LUCIE F. J'AQUITH, OF WEST LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO TELETYPE COR- PORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION QF'DELAWAR-E;

TELEGRAPH PRINTER Application fi1e' d January 25, 1932. Serial No. 588,521.

3 nating device is not only of little value but ofttimes by casting-light reflection on the sight or window glass actually contributes further towards impairing the visibility of the printed tape. Particularly, in the operation of printing telegraph apparatus in connection with printing telegraph exchange sys tems where the operator receives a communication telegraphically from a calling subscriber as to information of the number of the station being called, it is necessary that the operator be able to read the printed matter immediately after it has been printed in order to facilitate and expedite the establishment of a communicating circuit between the calling and the called subscribers stations. In relying upon casual orexternal lighting provisions for this purpose, it is generally found that the reading of the printed matter immediately upon its printing is extremely difficult, and it is therefore the princlpal obiect of the present invention to provlde a structure to overcome these possible difliculties, which'is simple, small, and eflicient, and which may be readily and quickly applied to existing apparatus without material changes therein.

For the accomplishment of the above and other objects of the invention, there is'provided an illumination device'which is positioned above and'laterally of the strip on which the characters are printed and arranged in a manner such that a substantial portion of the strip is illuminated, making it possible for the operator to read quickly and '50 readily the printed information. According to one embodiment of the invention a reflector is arranged longitudinally of the strip and has positioned in its ends, sockets to receive small incandescent lamps which are of sufficient wattage to illuminate adequately a substantial portion of the strip on which the characters are printed, but which are not suflicient to produce any detrimental heating effect. Other embodiments of the invention reside in the provision of a reflecting surface-secured to a support common to other elements'of the printing telegraph apparatus, which cooperates with a small incandescent lamp positioned vertically to illuminate a portion of the strip extending to the very point of printing and consequently permitting the operator to read the printed information as it is printed, which obviously minimizes delays. and makes possible the establishment of intercommunicating telegraph circuits promptly.

vention may be obtained from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein,

A better understanding of the present in- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspect-ive view of one form of the present invention as applied to a printing telegraph machine similar to the one described in U. S. Patent N0. 1,745,633 to S. Morton et al. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fixture illustrated in Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of the present invention with parts broken away to show more clearly the particular embodiment of the invention.

Fig. lis a fragmentary front elevation of H the device illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of another modified form of the present invention in which two lamps are used and in which they are supported in horizontal position.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view with parts broken away of the device illustrated in Fig. 5.

Fig; 7 is a diagrammatic detail view of an electrical'circuit, such as might be used in conjunction with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts, the printing of characters is effected on a tape 11 (see Fig. 1) passing through guides 12 and 13 positioned on opposite sides of a roller platen 14, the latter guide 13 being mounted on a bracket 15. The paper strip or tape 11 passes over the platen 14 and has positioned above it an inking ribbon (not shown), as is commonly used in typewriters, sothat typebars 16 pivotally mounted in a semicircular support 17 when operated, cause the printing of characters on the tape 11. However, for further details of the printing structure and the selection and the operation of the typebars 16, reference is made to the aforementioned patent which described in detail a printing telegraph receiver to which the present invention may be readily applied.

The mechanism just described is mounted on a base 18 which is secured within a housing a or enclosure 19. As shown in Fig. 1, the housing 19 is cutaway to expose a substantial length of the tape 11 as well as the printing point of the typebars 16, but in rooms such as where printing telegraph exchanges are located and where indirect lighting is em ployed the shadows produced by housings or cover materially interfere with the reading of the printed characters, particularly at the V printing point on the roller 14. To overcome this condition and to facilitate the reading by the operator of the printed information, an illumination device has been provided which efliciently illuminates the tape and the characters printed thereon. By illuminat ing the tape at the very'point of printing, the operator may read the printed information promptly and establish an intercommunicating circuit, as indicated on the tape, expeditiously.-

One form of the illuminating device for the attainment of the objects of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and comprises a tubular member 21 provided with a cutout portion 22. One end of the tubular member 21 is secured to a bracket 23 which serves'as a support for the tubular member 21 by being secured to the base 18 by a knurled thumb screw 24. The bracket 23 is positioned relatively to the bracket which supports the guide 13 in a manner such that the tubular member 21 is positioned above and laterally'of the guide 13 and consequently of the tape or strip 11 which passes therethrough. By arranging the tubular member 21 in the manner described and securing in opposite ends thereof lamp sockets 25 and 26 adapted to receive small incandescent lamps, such as indicated by the numeral 27. a substantial portion of the tape 11 will be illuminated when electrical current passes through the incandescent lamps. In some'instances suflicient illumination will be provided by one lamp, but it is noted that the provision of two lamps makes possible their interconnection in parallel and insures a continuous illucrating the printing elements is supplied from an electrical motor whose circuit 32 may be closed through a switch 31 or through a relay 30 which may be controlled from a distant station for automatically starting the printing motor at the station which is normally inert. Under such conditions it is, of course, highly desirable that the illuminating lamp or lamps or theenergizing circuits thereof be closed simultaneously with the closure of the circuit of the driving motors. Consequent-- ly, to satisfy this condition, the circuit of the illuminating lamps is completed upon the operation of the motor key 31 or the relay 30 which controls the closure of the motor circuit. This feature of the invention is more clearly disclosed in Fig. 7 wherein the local operating circuit may be controlled either manually or from a distance as disclosed in the copending' application to H. K. Carroll filed July 21, 1924, Serial No. 727,316.

The arrangement described in Figs. 3 and 4 is somewhat similar to that described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, but differs therefrom in the manner of its application. As disclosed, a plate 34 having its under-surface of a highly reflecting character, is secured to the pivotal support 33 by a'screw 51. The shape of the plate 34 is such that a portion thereof extends longitudinally of the tape 11 and to a point to the left and slightly to the rear of the printing point 29 as viewed in'Fig. 1. Cooperating with the plate 34 and itsreflecting surface 35 is a lamp 36 which is mounted vertically (see Fig. 4)

in a socket or connector 37 which is provided with terminals 38 and 39. The lamp 36 which is of the type disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,673,267 issued to R. A. Price is provided with terminals in its base for contacting with the connectors 38 and 39 through which current is supplied to the filament of the lamp.

Tubular member 37 is ofinsulating material and is adapted to receive the lamp 36 and guide it into proper registration between the terminals thereon and the connectors 38 and 39.. The socket is secured to a bracket 42 which, as disclosed in Fig. 3, is arranged with cutout portions 43 and 44 which permit its quick and ready insertion under and in mounting relation with screws 45 which serve to secure the bracket 15 to the base 18. Thus, in the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the bracket supporting the lamp socket is secured by means of the same screws which secure other apparatus of the receiving printing telegraph machine.

The fixture disclosed in Figs. 5 and 6 employs the same type of lamp as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, but two lamps are used in this particular embodiment, which are mounted in a socket indicated generally by the nu meral 46 secured in a mounting 47. The mounting 47 is supported by a bracket 48 similar to bracket 42 and is positioned with respect to the guide 13 and the tape 11 in a manner to illuminate a substantial portion thereof. Also the under-surface 49 of the mounting 47 is highly polished to provide a good reflecting surface and to insure the adequate and proper illumination of the tape. In addition the mounting 47 is adapted to position the reflector 49 with respect to the printing point 29 indicated in Fig. 1 in a manner that the point of printing is illuminated.

While the invention has been disclosed and described with reference to a particular structure, it is obvious that various modifications thereof can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is: I

1. In a printing telegraph machine, a printing element, a platen for supporting a member on which characters are printed from said printing element, a support for said element, a bracket secured to said support, a small incandescent lamp, arefiector rotatably secured to said bracket to be displaceable for removing said lamp but normally positioned above and laterally of said member whereby the rays of said lamp illuminate the printing point of said printing element and a substantial portion oi the member.

2. In a printing telegraph machine, an electrical operating motor, a printing mechanism operated by said motor and adapted to print upon a running tape at a stationary locus, an illuminating fixture including an electric lamp and a reflector adapted to direct and confine the light rays of said lamp longitudinally upon the locusand a substantial portion longitudinally of said tape, electrical connections between said motor, lamp, and a source of electrical energy and means under control of a distant station for energizing and deenergizing said motor and lamp.

3. In a printing telegraph machine, a remotely controlled printing mechanism in cluding a plurality of printing elements, a platen adapted to support an advancing tape for printing thereon by said elements, an illuminating lamp, a longitudinal reflector pivotally supported over said lamp so as to direct light rays to a substantial portion of the printed tape when in operative position and to be rotated out of position to permit replacementof said lamp, and means under control of said remotely controlled mechanism for lighting said lamp solely during its own period of operation.

4. In a telegraph system, a communication circuit and a local circuit, means in said communication circuit responsive to electrical signals including a slow release relay, a circuit breaker in said local circuit controllable by said relay to break said local circuit following the reception of a predetermined number of similar signals, a printing mechanism, an operating motor for said mechanism in electrical communication with said local circuit and a miniature incandescent lamp located adjacent said printing mechanism and connected in series with said operating motor so as to serve as a means for illuminating the printing locus as well as to indicate the operation of said motor.

5. In a printing telegraph machine, a printing mechanism including a typing unit for printing remotely selected characters on a continuous length of tape moved for each printing operation, a platen for supporting said tape during the printing operation, a housing for said mechanism having a glassed portion, a guide for said tape extending to the exit opening in said housing and visible through said glassed portion, and a lamp positioned to the rear of and above said guide for illuminating a substantial length of said tape beginning at the'printing point and extending through said guide.

6. In a printing telegraph receiver, a plurality of type bars controlled selectively from a remote point for printing on a continuous length of tape moved for each printing operation, a rotary platen for supporting said tape during the printing operation, a housing for said type bars and said platen having a glassed portion, a guide for said tape extending to the exit opening in said housing and LUCIE F. JAQUI'IH. 

